It is the year 12,020 G.E. and Emperor Cleon I sits uneasily on the Imperial throne of Trantor. Here in the great multidomed capital of the Galactic Empire, forty billion people have created a civilization of unimaginable technological and cultural complexity. Yet Cleon knows there are those who would see him fall - those whom he would destroy if only he could read the future.

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It is the year 12,020 G.E. and Emperor Cleon I sits uneasily on the Imperial throne of Trantor. Here in the great multidomed capital of the Galactic Empire, forty billion people have created a civilization of unimaginable technological and cultural complexity. Yet Cleon knows there are those who would see him fall - those whom he would destroy if only he could read the future.

Hari Seldon has come to Trantor to deliver his paper on psychohistory, his remarkable theory of prediction. Little does the young Outworld mathematician know that he has already sealed his fate and the fate of humanity. For Hari possesses the prophetic power that makes him the most wanted man in the Empire... the man who holds the key to the future - an apocalyptic power to be know forever after as the Foundation.

Listen to all of Isaac Asimov's Foundation series, including (in chronological order):

In the 1950’s and 1960’s the “big three” of Science Fiction were Isaac Asimov, Arthur C Clarke and Robert Heinlein, all three are required reading for any real fan of the genre.

There are two schools of thought on how to approach Asimov’s epic “Foundation” series. The original trilogy consisting of “Foundation”, “Foundation and Empire” and “Second Foundation” were written in the 1950’s. Later in the 1980’s and 1990’s Asimov wrote two prequels, “Prelude to Foundation” and “Forward the Foundation” and two sequels to the original trilogy, “Foundations Edge” and “Foundation and Earth.” Some urge newcomers to read them in published order but I much prefer to approach the series in historical order, the order in which the events occur.

As with almost all writing from these periods, some of the technologies presented are to a certain point outdated. It is easy for us now to consider the lack of smart phones and the internet bit of an oversight but it does not affect overall enjoyment of the story and the remainder of the technology is advanced enough to be well beyond us today.

While "Prelude to Foundation" discusses events on a huge galactic scale it really focuses on the life of one man, Hari Seldon and his quest to develop the science of “Psychohistory” which will, when perfected, predict the future of large scale events surrounding societies and their governmental structures, such as a collapse of a galactic empire. It takes place on the crowded forty billion inhabitant, capital planet of a galaxy wide empire called “Trantor” which is divided into zones that blanket the entire planet.

The novel starts out with Hari arriving on Trantor for the first time to present a paper on his yet undeveloped "Psychohistory" to a mathematics symposium. As the book proceeds it leads you through an exploration of the technology, government and various social structures of Trantor, all of which serve to provide the foundation (sorry) for Hari’s later development of Psychohistory.

Do not expect a space opera with new excitement and thrills at every turn; this is not that type story. On the other hand, do not think I am saying "Prelude to Foundation" is in any way boring, the novel is a delight to listen to. Throughout the adventure it keeps you thinking about Trantor, the societies involved and the interesting storyline. The book is direct, to the point without a lot of useless meandering and moves not at a rapid but rather a nice comfortable pace.

When finished, you will be eager to continue the journey to see if Hari can complete his Psychohistory project, which is so important for the future of humanity.

How was the narration? Well, it is narrated by Scott Brick, need I say more!

Where does Prelude to Foundation rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Easily one of my favourites.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Prelude to Foundation?

Parts I can't mention in order to avoid spoiling the book for others who haven't read/listened to this book. I will say there are some moments of surprise that I loved.

Which scene was your favorite?

I don't have one particular favourite scene but I loved diving into the world of the empire and following Harry and Dors around. The different worlds and sectors made the book exciting and has now lead me to listen to all the books in this (The Foundation) series.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

Again I don't want to ruin any surprises in the book but I do like the surprises that are in this story and I love the concept of Psychohistory and its role in this story and the series.

Any additional comments?

I've listened to the books in chronological order of the The Foundation series universe and this being the first I listened to really got me interested in the whole series.

This for me was one of the best books in the series and I found subsequent books in this series mixed with some as good as this story and some difficult to stayed interested in.

Overall I love the entire Foundation series and am currently finishing off the last book.

The performance is top notch - very engaging. The story (which I was not familiar with in advance) is quite good if perhaps a little light on character backstory/development but the plot and setting/imagery is outstanding.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Prelude to Foundation?

The reveal of the shocker at the climax - I didn't see it coming.

What does Scott Brick bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

His voicings of the characters convey a wide range of emotions (more than the text alone could) without devolving into cartoonishness.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

I actually laughed out loud as I was driving (alone) when the shocker was revealed during the climax.

No... the Foundation series is "just okay," in my opinion. The earlier books (written earlier) were interesting primarily because of their examination of social mores and structures. None is what I'd been expecting from a "science fiction" classic. This one is obviously written by an author more experienced and shaped by fans' desires for "a normal novel," and it's not a particularly interesting one.

What could Isaac Asimov have done to make this a more enjoyable book for you?

Not write it... the "prequel" thing doesn't work.

Have you listened to any of Scott Brick’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

As good as any; he's a great narrator.

Could you see Prelude to Foundation being made into a movie or a TV series? Who should the stars be?

Isaac Asimov revisited his Foundation series with a prequel decades after he wrote, first the Foundation Trilogy in the 50s, then went on to write sequential novels in the 80s and 90s. Though this is the first of the Foundation books set in the Galactic Empire period, it appeared more or less in the middle of the publication timeline. So if you have read the Foundation books, you will enjoy the back story of psychohistorian Hari Selden. While this story in some ways lacks the youthful enthusiasm and drama of the earliest Foundation novels from the 50s, it's still a good story and there is lots of action (that is, Asimov action, which consists of pursuit scenes, mainly and not a lot of shoot-em-up or sex. Well, almost none, in fact.) The reading by Scott Brick is as always, absolutely the best there is. Subtle character voice changes, no weird pretending to yell in a half-loud voice, or other irritating quirks, and that resonant voice we've come to love, nay, be addicted to. I'm only annoyed that due to Brick going out on his own as a voice star, the last Foundation Novel is not read by him, doubtless a contract problem and a shame that the end of the series doesn't have the same reader.

Perhaps it's a result of the writing style of Isaac Asimov, but this reading eventually got on my nerves. There was too much forceful, dramatic pronunciation, and not enough variety and modulation in tone. I was left feeling that there was one main character in the book: that of Scott Brick, the narrator. More nuance and colour would have made it more enjoyable.

It's a little slow in the beginning but towards the end of the book everything comes together and you see why things were like they were. I liked that Asimov explained everything and you weren't left wondering why an event had happened. It was quite satisfying this way.

Ok fellow Foundation fans - this review is not pretty (but, there are also no spoilers), but it's honest. And it's from a fellow Foundation fanatic who LOVED the first five books.

Plain and simple, there is not story here. Instead of clever plot twists and surprises, you get one straight-forward, predictable read, without the slightest interesting story until the final 30 pages of the book. The last 30 pages contain several large, ingenious surprises. Problem is, none of the previous story was needed to justify the final surprises.

In the first five books, we have a genius of a storyline with great suspense. In this book, no suspense to speak of. Someone gets left atop a rooftop and almost freezes to death, then someone complains that they have to wear a bald wig on a planet, then someone gets in a knife fight, and really nothing enlightening happens along the way.

I suggest you read the final 30-50 pages and call it a day. Trust a fan of the first five books, the high ratings this book is receiving would NOT have been provided had this been the first book in the Foundation series. There's no story here.

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